Box.



G. C. BABCOCK.

BOX.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-5.1914.

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pnrrnn s'rirrns GUILFORD o. BAIBCOCK, COMPANY,

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

Application filed August 5, 1914. Serial No. 855,275.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUILronD C. BABCOGK, a citizen of the United States, residing in have invented an Improvement in Boxes, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, isa specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to boxes and similar receptacles or containers.

Among other objects the invention is intended to provide a box blank and a method of making the same, which lend themselves readily to commercial practice.

Thecharacter of the invention may be readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of an illustrative form of box blank.

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing the blank of Fig. 1 in partially folded form;

. Fig, 3 is an edge view of a completed box made from the blankshown in Fig.1.

) Fig. {1 is a detail showing which an illustrative kind of side material is treated preparatory to folding;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the lower right hand corner of Fig. 3.

The blankshown in Fig. 1 comprises side material 1 formed in one or more .pieces, but arranged to extend integrally over the side edges of the finished box.

The side material 1 may be of any suitable ligneous or fibrous material, such, for example, as socalled fiber-board or paste- This side material is preferably treated so as to render it flexible along the lines of the side edges of the box, but it is preferably so treated without severing or removing any of the fibers of the material. For example, the fiber-board or other material may be pressed between suitable tools so as to distort its fibers transversely (see Fig. 4:) to form a crease to facilitate the bending of the material 1, from the flat position indicated in full lines in Fig. 1 t0 the dotted line position. This distortion or displacement of the fibers is produced preferably by compression as distinguished from cutting or scoring; and for convenience such distortion of fibers without cutting them will be referred to herein generically as creasing the side material.

the manner: in

Referring again to Fig. 1, the edges of the box are intended to be located at the points 3, 4, 5, and 6 and accordingly the side material is preferably rendered flexible (unless its inherent flexibility suffices) at those points and along parallel lines extending across the side material, and this purpose may be served by creasing the side material as described.

Cleats 7, 8, 9, and 1 0 of any suitable wood are provided, and in the specific construction of the drawings these cleats serve the double purpose of reinforcing the sides and closing or substantially closing the ends of the box Whenthe blank is folded. To suit the illustrative dimensions and construction of the box shown in the drawings, the cleats 7 and 9 arelong cleats adapted to contact lengthwise with each other when the blank is folded as shown in Fig. 3; and the cleats 8 and 10 are short. cleats arranged to cooperate with the cleats 7 and 9 in the folded box, substantially to close the box end.

The blank shown in Fig. 1 is provided with wire or other preferably metallic binding, 12, fastened by staples, 13, which straddle the wire, pass through the side material and penetrate the cleats. Ends let of the wire binding are left projecting beyond the ends of the blank to be twisted together for completing the closure of thebox.

As shown in Fig. -1,v the cleat .8 has its ends located respectively at substantially the adjacent edges of the creases 3, and a, so that when the side material is foldedupon the lines of said creases, it will fold into contact with, and overlap, the ends of the cleat 8; the side material will be, so to speak, wrapped around one side and the two ends of the cleat 8. To provide overlap margins of the side material to suit this purpose, the cleats 7 and 9 respectively have their ends spaced from the adjacent edges of the creases 3 and 4, distances substantially equal to the width of the cleat 8. In other words, between the right hand end of cleat 7 (in Fig. 1) and the nearest edge of the crease 3, is an overlap margin of side material, having a width substantially equal to the width of the cleat 8, to be overlapped thereby. Thus the end of the cleat 7 is spaced from the end of the cleat 8 a distance substantially equal to the width of the cleat 8, plus the width of the crease 3. A similar relation is provided 7 organization and method of manufacture modified in form and between the cleats 8 and 9 and the cleats 9 and 10 and the adjacent portions of the side material. 7 7

At the lefthand end of Fig. 1 is shown an overlap margin, 15, which, when the box is folded, overlaps the righthand end of the cleat 10 in Fig. 1, as shown in'Fig. 3.

It is preferred also to provide an overlap margin, 16, (see right hand end of Fig. 1) to overlap the adjacent end of the cleat 10 in some such manner as that illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5. The overlap margin 16 may be of any desired or practicable width. F or instance in folding the boxes the overlap margin 16 may-be folded across and in con tact with the end of the cleat 10 and may extend to some distance along the side of the cleat 7 and the overlap margin 15 may extend outside the margin 16; the two overlaps thus serve to make a tight, smooth closure at the box edge, the parts being held in position by twisting together the ends '14 of the wire as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

It isto be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular construction,

hereinbefore described for illustration. On the contrary,the relations of the box parts and the materials therefor may be variously dimensions, and the method of making the box may be modified in various particulars, all of which will appear to those skilled in the art. F urthermore, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly since they may be employed separately in combinations and sub-combinations defined in the followlng claims.

It is to be understood further that the Words box, ends, sides, and similar words are employed herein as words of convenient designation and not words of limitation since obviously the features of the in vention may be applied to other receptacles and containers than those ordinarily described by the word box (and which are intended to be includednnder that name as herein used); and it is immaterial what particular part of a box is employed in any in sheet form applied to said cleats and ex-' tending unbroken across the corners 'o'f the box, binding wires encircling the ends of the box and fastened by means passing through said side material and anchored in cleats, the wire and side material being tensionetl over the cleats at the box corners.

2. A box blank comprising successive pairs of cleats, a sheet extending integrally along said cleats and binding wires applied to said sheet and secured to the cleats, the parts being so proportioned thatthe cleats will mate to form substantially"uninterrupted end walls for the box with wires and sheet tensioned about the corners thereof.

8. A box blank comprising successive along said cleats, the material of the sheet being displaced in transverse lines between successivepairs of cleats to provide flexibility at the box edges and binding wires applied to said sheet and secured to the cleats, the parts being so proportioned that the cleats will mate to form substantially uninterrupted end walls for the box with wires and sheet tensioned about the corners thereof. p In testimony whereof, I havesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

V GUILFORD C. BABCOCK. Witnesses:

LAURENCE A. JANNEY, V EDWARD G. CURTis.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

